Wiltshire College students gave the police a fair bit of trouble last week – but all in a good cause.

A total of 16 Public Services students and four HND Criminal Justice students from Chippenham took part in controlled riot, demonstration and protest scenarios to assist the Wiltshire and Gloucestershire police forces in a public order training exercise at the disused Cotswold Community Centre in Ashton Keynes, near Cirencester.

The Public Services students acted as rioters, and were encouraged to throw stones and give verbal abuse, while the Criminal Justice group staged a sit-down protest to test the officers’ knowledge of the law.

Mark Williams, lecturer in Public Services, said: “It was the first time students from Wiltshire College have been involved with this and we’ve now got another five dates between January and March, which will form the work experience element of their course.

“It was quite funny actually. The police said they were the politest rioters and protestors they had come across but they eventually encouraged them to get into the role.”